The Dove Campaign For Real Beauty










http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUsKIApTewQ

Welcome to our WIKI!! We're here to inform you about the Dove Campaign and the principle behind the campaign. Dove wants to celebrate the natural physical variation embodied by all women and inspire them to have the confidence to be comfortable with themselves.


Introduction

Written by Katie White
The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, begun in 2004, is a global effort to help free women, and the women in the next generation, from beauty stereotypes. Its goal is to widen the definition and discussion of beauty and to promote societal change. One study, called The Real Truth About Beauty: A Global Report, validated the stereotype that only thin, young, and blonde were beautiful. According to the research, only two percent of women around the world describe themselves as beautiful. Also, two-thirds of global women agree that, “media and advertising set an unrealistic standard for beauty that most women can’t ever achieve.” The results of this study put the passion into the campaign. "The campaign supports the Dove mission: to make more women feel beautiful every day by widening stereotypical views of beauty.”


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(http://www.dove.ca/en/#/cfrb/mission_statement.aspx) The mission uses real women of all shapes, shades, sizes, and ages to discuss and debate about today’s typical “beauty”. (There are no supermodels used in this campaign, for it would contradict its purpose.) Dove started many different communication campaigns to confront beauty stereotypes and invite women to share their definitions of what’s beautiful. Dove developed the Dove Self-Esteem fund to make changes in the way women and young girls perceive beauty. Too many girls develop low self-esteem from not looking like a “stereotypical beauty.” The Fund provides free resources that empower females to broaden the definition of what is beautiful: online activities, the Real Beauty School Program, mother/daughter booklets, games and activities for girls only, etc. It also provides resources to organizations that prevent and help cure eating disorders. When females feel positive about their appearance and themselves, they’re more likely to live life to its fullest potential. Dove has reached over seven million lives so far through the Dove Self-esteem Fund. Its goal is to reach 15 million lives by 2015… they’re on the right track!

What Methods are Being Used?

Written by Javier Gutierrez

Starting in 2004, the Dove Campaign has started both social media and other methods to promote their cause. They have used advertising,videos, billboards, workshops, sleepover events and books to promote their cause. The campaign has evolved just as the social media world has by using Twitter, Face book, blogs and You Tube to reach out tothe younger audiences, investing to make them loyal future costumers(1). For its website, the Dove Campaign featured an array of blogs from various doctors, featured discussions for the Dove community and offered a series of columns that targeted its demographic. One of theways the website promotes its cause is its use of workshops that haveto do with health and self esteem(2).In Facebook, Dove’s social mission features several links thatfurther explains the campaign. It has also been the foundation for thecreation of a new online community of Dove consumers, often providingfeedback for the company and posting words of inspiration. The sitealso features videos, pictures and events. Since June of 2011, it hasreceived over 1.7 million likes(3).dove112.jpgWith over 13 thousand followers, the Dove campaign has taken flight through its effective use of Twitter. The Dove twitter page hasgained momentum by providing its followers helpful tips and adviceencircling dove products(8). The Campaign also uses national advertisement for promotion. Thesix women featured in the original ads have appeared in magazines,national television spots and billboards (5). You Tube has also been used to spread the message of real beauty. Using smart techniques to target young audiences, Dove has releasedseveral popular videos, one in particular is the “Evolution ofBeauty,” where an ordinary woman undergoes extensive hair and make-upand photo-shop to distort her image. The videos released have receivedcritical acclaim(6). Through its intelligent and emotionalmarketing, over one millionwomen visited the website just after the first year of the campaign.Just in the first quarter of the 2005 fiscal year, sales rose 500million dollars in the United States(7).


What are the Results?
Written by Tawni Argent

“Dove knows that the relationship women have with beauty is complex: it can be powerful and inspiring, but elusive and frustrating as well”. (http://psucomm473.blogspot.com/2007/03/dove-campaign-for-real-beauty-case.html) They targeted all women, all ages and all sizes, thus calling into action for consumers to join the movement through website pledging that activates a donation by Dove for self-esteem awareness programs. As a result of their evident social media campaigns Dove found that the publicity for The Dove Campaign of Real Beauty generated more than 650 million imprints during the summer of 2005 alone.
dove_campaign_for_real_beauty1.pngThey also had landed coverage from 62 national television programs, thus securing at least four hours of broadcast time. The campaign was also covered in high-profile print outlets like People magazine and The New York Times. According to Dove, “sales for the products featured in the ads increased 600 percent in the first two months of the campaign”. (http://www.sofii.org/node/9) They also found that as of June 2005, more than 1 million people had visited their website at www.campaignforrealbeaty.com and shared there thoughts about the campaign. They have set the pace for all other skin products worldwide. They didn’t stop here in the United States, but found it just as important to position them as the first global beauty brand to talk to women about aging in a positive light. Clearly Dove has made its impact amongst society. Since the launch in 2004, the campaign has created, and continues to create, thought-provoking ads, confidence building programs and messages that cover all definitions of beauty. It is about time that the media enlightens the public with realistic images of women, and that is just what Dove continues to do for women globally.


Evaluation of the Project

Written by Reaksmey Lath

Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty accomplished a very positive image for the company. The company really gained the consumer’s trust when they used real women who did not have the stereotypical norm of what the media portrays what beauty is. Within the first year over one million women visited the sites. Dove did a great job gaining the trust of women because within the first year Dove grossed 500 million dollars. What is even more amazing is that in September of 2006, Spain banned the use of overly thin models which shows that their efforts are really working. With every purchase Dove donates a portion to various charities that helps builds self-esteem in girls. Dove knows that in order to make a bigger impact in someone’s life, they have to start young. The young women that they will inspire will mature into confident women. In 2004 before the campaign started, only two percent of women viewed themselves as beautiful. By 2011 it rose to 4 percent, though it’s not a huge percentage, but at least the campaign is affecting someone, somewhere. Dove’s efforts to build women’s self-esteem proved to be very sincere because the company really goes out of its way to do say. They have a documentary called Evolution about real women transforming into models.




They also teamed up with the entertainment industry to show that what girls see in movies and magazines represents an unrealistic standard of beauty. They produced Onslaught,an online film of beauty images girls faces. There is really no need for Dove to produce these films because it was costing them more money when they were already promoting for free using various social media, but the fact that they did really show their sincerity. Dove really goes out of its way to take on the responsibility of building self-esteem in women, but it can always backfire because it could be that using real women and not models can have a negative effect on their sales. It could be that consumers may like seeing the stereotypical women that the media portrays because it motivates them to be better. Another way it could backfire is they may lose out on a lot of media because the money is used to create films that people may not be interested to watch. People may not care about one’s journey of becoming a model. Overall Dove is doing a great job at creating a positive image for their company. The extra effort they put into the campaign really shows their sincerity. Dove is the only company that really took on the responsibility of build self-esteem and they take it another mile. The company’s efforts will be recognized and will benefit them greatly in the long run.


REFERENCES
1. http://quyenhanguyenblog.wordpress.com/2011/04/30/dove-to-dump-%E2%80%9Creal-beauty%E2%80%9D-campaign/s
Dove’s “Real Beauty Campaign and the Social Media article, page accessed June 28, 2011
2. http://www.dove.ca/en/default.aspx#/connections/blogs/ , page accessed June 30, 2011
3.http://www.facebook.com/dove?v=app_120750214630623&sk=app_12075021463062, page accessed June 30, 2011
4. http://www.dove.ca/en/default.aspx#/cfrb/educators/ , page accessed June 30, 2011
5. http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/educational/teachable_moments/campaignrealbeauty.cfm
Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty article , page accessed June 30, 2011
6. Evolution of Beauty - Dove Campaign for Real Beauty <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHqzlxGGJFo> , page accessed June 30,
2011
7. Greenberg, Josh. “Real Beauty” and the Promotion Paradox. May 26, 2011 http://theideaslab.wordpress.com/2011/03/26/real-beauty-and-the-promotion-paradox/, page accessed June 28, 2011
8. http://twitter.com/#!/dove , page accessed June 28, 2011